As Li Zhuiyuan approached, his earlier suspicions were further confirmed when he noticed the bowl on the ground before Li Sanjiang. Not only was there water in the bowl, but two sprigs of patchouli leaves were also floating atop the surface.
If Li Sanjiang wanted to drink water, he could easily have used the table next to him instead of setting it on the muddy ground. This seemed more like a gesture of respect: "You can take your time drinking tea; just lift your hand for anything else."
Curiosity filled Li Zhuiyuan's mind as he stepped closer, wondering if perhaps the elder was pretending to be asleep. But if that were the case, why had the elder chosen to sit in such a solemn gathering?
If it was merely for the compensation, then why had he pulled Liu Jinxia and Old Man Shan into this mix? They were facing such a tragic fate for a bit of money. Old Man Shan might be willing because he often found himself short on food, but Liu Jinxia came from a well-off family; why would she agree to this?
Such contradictions in reasoning made Li Zhuiyuan begin to waver in his long-held impression of his elder.
"Li Sanjiang! Li Sanjiang!" The shout from Old Man Shan broke his thoughts. Blood was smeared across the old man's face, and he held what appeared to be some broken teeth in his hand. His expression was twisted in rage.
"Good grief!" Li Sanjiang jolted awake, nearly falling from his chair. Dazed, he looked around, finally noticing Old Man Shan's condition. "What happened to you?"
"Li Sanjiang, you beast! You mindless beast!" Old Man Shan fumed, his chest heaving in anger. Beyond the pain of losing his teeth, the sight of Li Sanjiang still asleep irked him to no end; the man was even drooling in his slumber, as if he could choke on his own mess.
Li Sanjiang turned to look at Liu Jinxia and found her face swollen, resembling two plump meat buns. He couldn't suppress a laugh as he joked, "Liu Blind, what happened to you?"
Liu Jinxia shut her eyes tight and remained silent, feeling the ache in her cheeks.
Though angry, she was aware of Li Sanjiang’s "capabilities." While it left her feeling unbalanced, she couldn’t deny the logic behind it.
"Where are Niu's three family members? Why are they missing?" Li Sanjiang's worry grew. Where could the family be?
Old Man Shan forced himself to regain some composure. Gritting his lips, he replied, "Around eight o’clock, Liu Blind mentioned it got chilly, and that's when I realized the wind was blowing from my spot. It turned out Niu Old Lady had returned."
"What? After half a year, she could come back?" Li Sanjiang was incredulous.
"She’s not a ghost; she’s a corpse!" Old Man Shan replied.
"A corpse? Are you trying to fool me? A body that's been buried for six months can just come back to life?"
"She is indeed a corpse; her shoes were wet and left footprints; I wrestled with her for a moment. She smelled just like a waterlogged body. My eyes and nose haven't failed me—I’ve pulled bodies my whole life, I wouldn't mistake that!"
"And then?"
"And then..."
"Why did you stop? Did you not manage to get rid of her?"
"If I could be ten years younger..." Old Man Shan trailed off, embarrassed. He hadn't confronted Niu Old Lady due to his shameful encounter.
Now, he accepted his old age. If Liu Jinxia hadn’t warned him, he might have fallen for her tricks, missing the fight altogether.
"Where are the Niu family members?" Li Sanjiang pressed again. This was more than just a matter of money—if the family met misfortune while he was supposed to help them, their reputation in the area would be tarnished, and no one would have them for assistance again.
Runsheng chimed in, "Niu Lian is digging a hole at her mother's grave."
"Why didn’t you save her?"
Runsheng glanced at Li Zhuiyuan, "It was too late; I had to bring Little Yuan here to wake you up."
"Let’s go to the grave!" Li Sanjiang commanded, slapping the bench. He glanced at Old Man Shan and Liu Jinxia. "You two... stay here and rest."
His look suggested a mixture of disappointment and reprimand towards them for not keeping up.
Old Man Shan's chest heaved again in frustration, and Liu Jinxia shot a disdainful glance at him, as if to say, "You’ve been in this game for so long, and yet you still haven’t learned."
Together, Li Sanjiang, Runsheng, and Li Zhuiyuan hastily made their way to the graveyard. As they reached the edge of the fields, they suddenly heard a voice:
"Mom, I'm hungry! Mom, I'm hungry! Is dinner ready yet?"
Out came Niu Rui, dressed in coarse linen, arms outstretched as if seeking his mother's embrace. Although he was over fifty, he appeared remarkably innocent at that moment.
"Catch him!" Li Sanjiang ordered Runsheng, who went left as Li Zhuiyuan went right, cornering Niu Rui before they both lunged at him, successfully pinning him down.
"Let me go! I want to find Mom! I want my mom!" Niu Rui struggled desperately but couldn't break free.
"Mom! I'm Fuhou! Mom! I'm Fuhou!" he cried out, still wrestling against their hold.
Just then, they noticed Niu Fu’s figure appearing in the distance. Spinning in circles, he cried a haunting and heartfelt wail, ten times more emotional than his earlier cries.
"Keep him pinned, Runsheng!" Li Sanjiang urged, maintaining his grip on Niu Rui.
"Can you manage?" Runsheng asked, watching Niu Rui still writhing beneath them.
"I'm fine! I still have strength left." Though injured, Li Sanjiang had full confidence in his ability to keep an old man under control; after all, he had spent a lifetime handling bodies, and he understood how to restrain someone.
"Alright!" Runsheng responded, releasing Niu Rui and launching himself toward Niu Fu, pouncing and pinning him down.
"Little Yuan, look for some rope! Straw will do too!" Li Sanjiang ordered.
"Sure, Elder!"
"Wah! Mom! My dear mom! Wah! My dear mom! Sniff sniff…"
On the bank across the field, a woman's figure appeared. Her hair was disheveled, her body covered in mud and blood. Her hands looked as if they were barely clinging to her body, like torn strips of cloth hanging from her bones.
Something resembling water plants was wrapped around her, trailing along behind her as she moved unevenly toward the nearby ditch.
It was Niu Lian!
She had somehow escaped being buried alive and had fled, but it looked as if she had indeed been previously buried, only to dig herself out.
Seeing this, Li Sanjiang shouted to Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Yuan, hurry and find some rope or straw!"
But to Li Zhuiyuan’s ears, the command sounded more like, "Little Yuan, catch her before she falls into the ditch!"
Blinking in surprise, Li Zhuiyuan looked at the two men pinning Niu Rui and Niu Fu, then glanced at the approaching Niu Lian.
Rather than follow Li Sanjiang's order, he ran toward the shed where some rope lay along with Old Man Shan and Liu Jinxia, who, although hurt, could still help tie someone up.
His reasoning was simple: Niu Lian seemed weaker than before, and he could potentially hold her back with ease. However, dividing the trio into separate tasks felt uneasy, as if they would fall into a trap, one after the other caught.
Yet, after just a short distance, he halted. He suddenly realized that even if he didn't chase after Niu Lian, he too had run away.
A chill wind passed by, and as he turned back, he saw only dark fields behind him—there was no sign of the elder or Runsheng.
At that moment, the sound of wooden fish echoed around him, mixed with the frantic chanting of prayers, like a group of monks performing at a funeral during the day.
Figures appeared around him, cloaked in Taoist robes, wielding various religious artifacts, all closing in.
The sensation felt like his ears and eyes were being filled with debris, both troubling and slowly numbing his senses to reality.
Li Zhuiyuan raised his right hand and bit down hard on his forearm. Though he didn’t hold back, leaving a mark and drawing a little blood, the pain was almost nonexistent.
It was no use; he spread his palm wide. The technique he had just taught Runsheng had now turned against him.
But before he could slap himself, a man’s voice came from behind him.
"Ah, it seems you've fallen for her tricks."
Turning around, he saw Uncle Qin standing there, instilling a great sense of security in him.
Uncle Qin placed a hand on Li Zhuiyuan's shoulder. "She is a corpse demon that transformed from a cat and a person; she excels in bewitching the heart."
"Uncle, you have to help save my elder and the others!"
"Don't worry; everything will be fine."
Uncle Qin raised his right hand, revealing a black cat in his grip.
The cat's tail was partially missing, one eye was blind, and it appeared to be decaying. Despite its appearance, it still struggled and twitched.
"Is this the animal corpse that turned with Niu Old Lady?" Li Zhuiyuan inquired.
"Not fully contained yet," Uncle Qin replied with a slight smile. "This creature is as heavily wounded as your elder. Now that the cat and the person are separated, if we can find the human and destroy her, the demon will be dealt with."
"And my elder and the others…?"
"The bewitched Niu family cannot harm your elder. We need to find Niu Old Lady; once we deal with her, this will all be over. She is in the old house west of the village."
Uncle Qin gripped the still-struggling cat with one hand while taking Li Zhuiyuan's hand with the other, leading him westward.
"Uncle, didn’t you say you wouldn’t interfere?"
"Since it's past midnight, your elder’s ritual is complete, so my involvement is unconnected to him. I merely passed by here and saw the demon harming people, so I’m just tidying things up."
"Oh, I see, Uncle, you’re truly remarkable."
"Heh, this is nothing yet. The real masters are the great corpse demons from back in the day, predating the liberation. They were the true terrors."
"What do you mean by great corpse demons?"
"There are many types, for example, nobles from ancient times who commanded great authority. After being drowned in the river, they transformed into powerful forms, often able to summon vengeful spirits to control the undead.
There are also places where water burial customs are observed; after ages of changes, rivers may alter course and carry the dead to new locales, birthing figures like a corpse king.
Every time such beings emerge, calamities follow.
The hardest to deal with are those who practice wicked methods. By using themselves as vessels, they seek another way to attain immortality. These corpse demons retain their past skills, making them the most troublesome to eliminate since they know how to counter human tactics."
Li Zhuiyuan raised his brow, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "Uncle, if these corpse demons are so formidable, why don't we see them now? Who has dealt with them?"
"All of them have been annihilated by the righteous."
As Li Zhuiyuan silently processed this, he pulled his hand away from Uncle Qin’s grasp and came to a stop.
Uncle Qin noticed, pausing to glance back at the boy.
Li Zhuiyuan, however, did not focus on Uncle Qin but on the deteriorating black cat in his hand.
The cat’s green eyes glimmered ominously, occasionally reflecting a crimson light, imbued with resentment.
"Little Yuan, why have you stopped?" Uncle Qin asked.
As he spoke, Li Zhuiyuan noticed the ruined lips of the black cat moving in tandem with its words.
"Little Yuan, what’s wrong?"
Uncle Qin bent down, looking at Li Zhuiyuan, placing his right arm behind the boy as if to comfort him.
Feeling a soft paw brush against his neck, Li Zhuiyuan instinctively stepped away, creating distance from Uncle Qin.
"Little Yuan, what’s going on?" Uncle Qin’s voice turned stern, and the blood in the black cat's eyes surged, overshadowing the green.
"Little Yuan, listen to me. Come with me so we can resolve this issue together, that way your elder can be freed from danger!"
In this instance, Uncle Qin’s lips barely moved, while the cat's mouth seemed to open and close incessantly.
This scene reminded Li Zhuiyuan of a peculiar performance he saw during a school celebration in the capital, where a performer used puppets. When they spoke, the puppets’ mouths moved, as if they were speaking for themselves.
However, in front of him, everything felt reversed.
Gradually, Uncle Qin quieted, and the cat settled. They seemed to realize that the boy had seen through their ruse.
An eerie grin spread across Uncle Qin’s face, while the cat's mouth gaped wider, blood trickling from its corners.
Suddenly, everything before Li Zhuiyuan blurred into crimson; whether he looked at them or elsewhere, the scene around him draped in a dark shroud.
Standing still, his fists clenched, he felt great fear but did not flee or scream.
The Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World often state that those who recover bodies must remain calm and not allow the demon to lead them by the nose.
The more you panic, the more they seize the opportunity.
Moreover, one must not shut their eyes—closing them is an act of cowardice and surrender, relinquishing all control.
Sweat poured down his forehead as he swallowed hard, his breathing grew rapid, feeling as if he stood over a burning furnace.
Yet, a vision from the night of performing the fortune-altering ritual with his elder resurfaced in his mind. In it, he found himself on his bed, surrounded by a sea of corpses.
Nothing is more frightening than comparison; when you believe it all to be fake, when you can amplify your fear with genuine nightmares, the current situation doesn't seem as terrifying.
The cat’s grin slowly faded, while Uncle Qin staggered back two steps, rapidly rotting away until only a puddle was left behind.
In that instant, all illusions shattered, the evening breeze bringing in fresh air. He eased, taking deep gasps.
The black cat regained its freedom, bouncing forward, leaning its decaying body toward Li Zhuiyuan. It gazed up at him.
Li Zhuiyuan looked down, staring at the creature.
In that silence, they shared a moment of mutual observation.
Finally, it was Li Zhuiyuan who broke the stillness. "What do you want from me?"
The logic behind Li Sanjiang's actions had already left him confounded, and the series of events around the corpse demon deepened his confusion.
Was it seeking revenge?
The black cat seemed to sigh, appearing weary. It opened its mouth, attempting to speak but fell silent, perhaps due to Uncle Qin’s absence.
Using its paw, it gestured for Li Zhuiyuan to follow, dragging its struggling form down the small path heading west.
Li Zhuiyuan stood still, not following.
After moving a distance, the cat paused and looked back at him with a glint of mockery in its eyes.
However, Li Zhuiyuan remained unmoved. His curiosity burned strongly, yet he felt no rush to act rashly at this uncertain moment, nor did he possess any undue kindness.
"Meow!" the black cat screeched, its cry resembling a child's wail. It felt anger, but this anger was directed solely towards Li Zhuiyuan—indignant yet powerless.
"You want me to follow you?"
The black cat nodded.
"But I have no reason to."
Lifting its paw, it pushed forward.
For the first time, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t understand. After it nudged again, he grasped the intent.
It referred to the time during the feast when Niu Old Lady had pushed him away from danger at the last moment. She had said, “Little one, let me send you away first.”
Although Niu Old Lady lived on, Li Zhuiyuan didn’t believe that gesture had been mere pretense.
He could tell the difference; after all, he often had to navigate…
Damn!
Li Zhuiyuan squatted down, covering his head with both arms.
He truly despised these unbidden thoughts that emerged at the most unexpected moments. They continuously undermined his identity while severing his ties to those around him.
And if left unaddressed, he would find himself rejecting every irrational, yet logical behavior in his surroundings. Family, friendship, and any warmth from society would feel like a foolish waste of time; he would grow cold—like a massive processor flickering light in a school lab.
Ultimately... he might become just like his mother.
He would loathe this version of himself, just as she loathed hers.
Gradually, he began to understand why she had taken him to see a therapist during his childhood; she recognized that her son had inherited the same affliction she carried.
It seemed the black cat recognized something within him, its green eyes swirled. Earlier, it had tried to enchant him, but upon witnessing this boy's reaction, it sensed a more opportune moment ahead.
Yet, it refrained from pressing forward, not out of benevolence but instead out of fear; it seemed that using any further enchantments on this boy could unleash unimaginable repercussions.
Li Zhuiyuan mumbled his social connections repeatedly, almost hypnotizing himself, reminding himself of who he truly was and his familial ties.
Occasionally, the name Qin Li slipped through his mind.
He rubbed his face hard, trying to shove his identity and emotions back where they belonged. Standing taller, he took a deep breath. When he faced the black cat again, it recognized the warmth and kindness within him—the essence of youth returning.
The black cat’s eyes widened as doubt crept in. In that moment, it no longer knew who the real corpse demon was.
“Do you need my help? Then lead the way; let's find the old lady.”
Nodding, the black cat trudged ahead, this time followed closely by the boy.
As they crossed a small ditch, the black cat suddenly vanished without warning.
Li Zhuiyuan was familiar with this ditch. During the day, he had washed his hands here and planned a picnic at the stone on the edge to keep Uncle Qin company.
Three cement slabs were laid over the flow for crossing. As Li Zhuiyuan stepped onto the slabs, he looked around, yet the black cat was nowhere to be found.
If it wanted to take him somewhere, it shouldn’t simply disappear mid-way.
He bent down, examining the gaps between the cement slabs, which were broad enough to fit half his palm, revealing a stream of flowing water beneath.
Suddenly, from the water, a face slowly emerged—an old lady’s face hovered in view, peering through the gap in the cement slab to make eye contact.
She was hidden below.
Even after preparing for this moment, the unconventional entrance sent chills down Li Zhuiyuan’s spine. Despite that, he fought to maintain his composure, forcing a smile towards the face below.
"Splasha…"
The water continued to flow, carrying the old woman’s face downstream, and as it drifted out, a louder sound erupted.
She stood up in the ditch, which was deep, making her appear short. She seemed to be floating, standing above the water's surface.
Not like the frail old lady he met at the feast, despite her bony frame; she shared a semblance of humanity then.
Now, her clothes were tattered rags, her body extensively decayed, riddled with insect holes and signs of gnawing.
If the water surged a bit more, it would completely break her apart.
This was her true form. Without a proper coffin for protection, she had turned out this way.
While she drifted in the water, Li Zhuiyuan walked along the bank.
With a body, she could now speak.
If described in words, the scene should evoke warmth—an old grandmother chatting with her grandson on a summer night.
However, when juxtaposed with the grim reality, it made one’s nerves shudder.
"When she was very young, she was sold into the Niu family as a child bride; she didn’t even have her own surname.”
"Her husband left early; she raised her children alone, managing to keep them from starving during the hardest times.”
"When her children grew up, she would care for them and their kids.”
"Back then, she still did housework, looked after the children, cooked, and managed some farm work. She felt fulfilled, believing she was still of use to her children.
That was the kind of person she was, never having had a surname in childhood. By the time she was old, she had lived a life without even a moment to herself, as if she were merely a cog, endlessly turning.
Easier paths moved quicker, while the tougher paths stumbled along... she managed to get by.
She never complained; she thought life should be like this.”
"Later, she grew old. Unable to see the children, do farm work, or even stoke the stove, her children and grandchildren deemed her useless, a burden.
And yet she lived on, even though she never asked her children for support; even if she drank cold water and ate rotten food, she persevered like a gecko gripping the wall.
She relished basking in the sun, sitting in the courtyard for half the day.
One day, she spotted me—a scruffy, ancient, and disabled cat.
Despite her own struggles, she took me in. She shared her meals with me, whatever she had.
She would hold me as we soaked in the sun together, recounting stories from her youth, speaking of her children’s fathers—the man whose likeness she had long forgotten.
She shared amusing stories about her three children, recalling how her eldest promised to spoil her so that she would need nothing more than to sit and have meals served; how her second son would ensure she had new clothes each season; and how her youngest daughter would buy her gold jewelry like other women in the village, so she could wear it daily.
Each time she spoke of this, her face lit up, but as a cat, I knew her children hadn’t visited in ages.
Eventually, she fell ill.
But even with all her cracks, as resilient as an old wooden wheel, she wouldn't break apart.
Someone from the village gathered her children after seeing her condition and insisted they look after their aging mother.
Her three children, already resentful of her long life, unwilling to let her live on and consume their good fortune, found actions to forsake her.
Yes, everything bad that happened to them, they blamed on her, as if any problems in their lives stemmed from her existence.
But the villagers had their eyes on them, and they didn’t want to put on a show.
So they promptly agreed to lock her away in the old house.
Look, this is the place in front of us."
Following the ditch, Li Zhuiyuan had wandered a long way. Ahead lay a rundown three-room house; the rooms on the sides had collapsed while the center barely remained upright.
The door appeared dilapidated, the door gods above it faded to black.
As Niu Old Lady stepped out from the ditch, water dripped from her clothes. Instead of rushing inside, she paused, surveying the surroundings with nostalgia.
"They would bring her meals daily, only to put on a facade for the villagers. Yet, the bowls remained empty no matter how much she begged for even a grain of rice or a sip of water.
Each of her two sons had an excuse, claiming that their children didn’t agree, and that had it not been for her, they would have had better futures.
Instead of feeling pity for her hunger, the two sons acted as if they were the ones wronged, while she bore the brunt of being the villain.
Yet, she endured. She drank dew, consumed moss, feasted on any bugs that crawled in, devouring anything she could swallow.
She truly was capable, holding on to life like resilient weeds.
I watched her in pity, and what struck me more was how she’d even share whatever bugs she caught with me—a lingering thought to care for me, despite her own struggles.
Just like how she raised her three children.”
Suddenly, Niu Old Lady burst into laughter. Tiny, fine hairs emerged where the insects had eaten away her flesh.
At that time, her cat-faced visage seemed far less intimidating.
Because it unveiled the real ugliness hidden beneath the surface.
Li Zhuiyuan finally asked, "You fed on her flesh?"
The cat-faced old lady nodded. "I did consume some of it."
The door creaked open with an eerie sound, seemingly unlatched from within.
As the door swung open, voices thought to be trapped inside also emerged.
The three Niu siblings knelt at the bedside, bound in white thread around their heads, black cloth around their waists, dressed in coarse linen, wailing mournfully.
The scene mirrored that of the ritual in the daytime.
Li Zhuiyuan felt perplexed. If the three were here, then what were Li Sanjiang and Runsheng grappling with?
Recalling the demon's ability, comprehension dawned on him; perhaps he hadn’t been as lucid as he believed. It was like waking from a dream without truly returning to reality, instead slipping into another dream.
The most apparent sign was... ever since Uncle Qin had disappeared, he hadn’t seen him again.
The prior Uncle Qin was merely a construct of the corpse demon reading his inner thoughts.
It even echoed the words from the Records of Strange Tales in the Martial World back to him.
Niu Old Lady pointed at Niu Fu, stating, "He was often sick as a child. It was her who carried him through storms and rain to see the doctor; when there was no money for medicine, she would kneel to the doctor, offering to wash their clothes or chop wood for them."
Then she pointed to Niu Rui. "When he was younger, he got into a brawl and killed someone. She pleaded with the man’s parents, helping them in their old age so that reconciliation could be achieved; in the end, she really did take care of his parents until they passed away."
Finally, she pointed at Niu Lian. "During the division of the family, she cried, saying she was also her child and couldn't be favored over the others. Even if her brothers wouldn’t support her, she would take her in, ensuring that the little possessions they had would be split evenly."
Turning to Li Zhuiyuan, Niu Old Lady smiled and asked, "Do you know what Niu Lian did? She found it too much hassle to keep playing this role. That night, on her turn to 'deliver dinner,' she pulled me down from the bed and tossed me into the ditch right there, claiming the next day that I had fallen."
"She was on the brink of starving; she couldn’t even speak anymore.
And yet, she was thrown into the water... to drown.
At that moment, I drifted alongside her as she floated. I followed her as you did before.
In the end, I jumped onto her, and began to feast on her flesh. The truth was, she hardly had any left; she was mostly bones.
But my hunger drove me; I wanted to bite her, to consume her. I was furious—how could she be such a fool? How could someone be so foolish?"
"And then, you both died together?"
"Yes, I never expected it to turn out this way. We died but... also lived on, transforming into this grotesque state, neither human nor ghost nor demon.
I think it may well be because she was so foolish that even heaven couldn't stand it."
Li Zhuiyuan finally posed the question he had long wanted to ask, "What do you plan to do?"
The cat-faced old lady's expression hardened. "I want revenge! I will take vengeance for her—how can these three ingrates continue living with their heads held high?"
"But it seems you already have the power to take revenge; why haven’t you acted?"
Hearing this, the cat-faced lady looked puzzled at Li Zhuiyuan. "What you said at the banquet, I thought you were just buttering me up to stay alive. Is this truly how you feel?"
"Shouldn’t that be the case?"
"People like you will never allow evil to harm the living, no matter how wicked that living person may be.
That is your righteous path; straying from it incurs heavy backlash.
Hasn’t your elder taught you that?"
Taught me?
Li Zhuiyuan pondered, but his elder had led him to send the Little Yellow Oriole to Big Beard's home that fateful night.
And afterwards, his elder had stood with his hands on his hips, smiling as he said they would eat a feast soon.
Could it be that his elder's morals differed from everyone else’s?
"No, let's talk about your situation. You caused all this commotion; why haven't you taken your revenge?"
The cat-faced lady's features began to twist grotesquely, ominous cracking sounds filled the air as dead worms and mice slipped from her body onto the ground in an accumulating pile.
Then, she spoke with a mixture of grievance and indignation, almost shouting: "I desire vengeance! I dream of revenge! Yet do you know what angers me the most?
She and I are one; we are rooted within each other.
Though I am in control, she’s technically gone, yet her instincts remain in me.
I grasp that if I kill one, her instincts will awaken and bind me, and I’ll have no chance to strike at the other two!"
"So you plan to kill all three?"
"Of course! I won't let a single one of them escape; I refuse to pick just one; I want all of them to receive their due punishment!"
Li Zhuiyuan protested, "Then you should forgive them—don’t kill a single one."
"What?"
The cat-faced lady gripped Li Zhuiyuan’s shoulders tightly, as if about to bite into his neck, hissing, "You little brat, do you even realize what you’re saying?"
"Because there’s no need to kill anyone; she can’t bind you at all."
"What do you mean?"
Li Zhuiyuan looked directly at the cat-faced lady’s face, smiling, "Maim one, poison one, drive one insane.
And then watch as the good children they raised treat them with care and love.
This would be the best… retribution for them."
(End of this chapter)